Ons dink daaraan.

• Ons = we
• dink = think
• daaraan = about it / of it / about that

So the whole sentence means something like We are thinking about it or We think about it, depending on context.

Daaraan is a pronominal adverb, which is very common in Afrikaans.

It is made up of:

• daar = there / that
• aan = on / about / of, depending on the verb

Together, daaraan means about it or about that after verbs that use aan.

Afrikaans often does this instead of using a separate preposition + pronoun combination. So where English says think about it, Afrikaans often says daaraan dink.

Because Afrikaans usually prefers pronominal adverbs like daaraan instead of combinations like aan dit when referring to a thing, idea, or situation.

So:

• natural: Ons dink daaraan
• less natural or more marked: Ons dink aan dit

A simple way to remember it:

• for things/ideas, Afrikaans often uses daaraan
• for people, you usually use aan hom / aan haar / aan hulle, etc.

For example:

• Ek dink aan hom = I think about him
• Ek dink daaraan = I think about it

Because Afrikaans verbs often combine with fixed prepositions, and those combinations do not always match English exactly.

The verb phrase is:

• dink aan = think about / think of

So even though aan often literally means something like to / on, after dink it gives the meaning about or of.

This is something learners often just have to memorize as part of the verb:

• dink aan = think about
• not just dink by itself in this sentence

Ons dink daaraan is the normal, compact way to say We’re thinking about it when it is already understood from context.

If you want to name the thing more explicitly, you can use a full phrase, for example:

• Ons dink aan die plan = We are thinking about the plan
• Ons dink aan daardie idee = We are thinking about that idea

So daaraan is used when the object is already known and can be replaced by it/that.

No. Afrikaans verbs do not change the way English verbs do in the present tense.

So:

• Ek dink = I think
• Jy dink = you think
• Hy dink = he thinks
• Ons dink = we think
• Hulle dink = they think

The verb stays dink in all these cases. That is much simpler than English.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Afrikaans present tense often covers both:

• simple present: We think about it
• present progressive: We are thinking about it

So Ons dink daaraan could mean:

• a general idea: We think about it
• something happening now: We’re thinking about it

If the context is about a current discussion or decision, English will often translate it as We’re thinking about it.

In a basic main clause, the finite verb usually comes second in Afrikaans:

• Ons dink daaraan

So the order here is:

1. Ons
2. dink
3. daaraan

This is the normal word order in a simple statement.

You can also move things for emphasis in some contexts, but for learners, Ons dink daaraan is the standard pattern to remember.

Yes, sometimes.

Depending on context, dink aan can mean:

• think about
• have in mind
• consider

So if people are discussing a suggestion, Ons dink daaraan can sound like:

• We’re thinking about it
• We’re considering it

The exact English wording depends on the situation.

A helpful rough pronunciation is:

• Ons ≈ ons with a short o
• dink ≈ dink
• daaraan ≈ daa-r-aan

A few tips:

• The first part daar sounds a bit like English dar.
• Then comes aan, with a long aa vowel.
• The r may be lightly pronounced depending on accent.

You do not need perfect pronunciation at first; the important thing is to recognize it as one unit: daaraan.

This is a very useful question, because both can sometimes relate to thinking.

• dink aan usually means think about, think of, have in mind, or consider
• dink oor often means think over, reflect on, or think carefully about

Examples:

• Ek dink aan jou = I’m thinking about you
• Ons dink daaraan = We’re thinking about it
• Ek sal daaroor dink = I’ll think it over

So in many everyday cases, dink aan is the more natural choice for think about, while dink oor can suggest more deliberate reflection.

Yes. That means something like We are busy thinking about it or more naturally We are thinking about it.

Compare:

• Ons dink daaraan = simple, natural, general present
• Ons is besig om daaraan te dink = emphasizes that the action is in progress

Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English uses am/is/are ... -ing, so Ons dink daaraan is already very normal.

The negative is:

Ons dink nie daaraan nie.

Afrikaans usually uses double negation:

• first nie after the verb or other core part of the sentence
• second nie at the end

So:

• Ons dink daaraan = We think about it
• Ons dink nie daaraan nie = We do not think about it / We are not thinking about it

That double nie ... nie pattern is one of the key features of Afrikaans.